The old model of medical care had the patient’s personal physician heavily involved at every step of care, paid per service performed. Under the model used by Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), the patient is instead cared for by a series of professionals. In the physician’s office, nurses and physician’s assistants play a larger role in medical care. If the patient has to be hospitalized, instead of the personal physician coming to the...

Patient marketing through social media has been often overlooked by small practices and medical practitioners until recently. This is because the main focus has been on more traditional businesses. Regardless if it is with new patients or current patients, social media is a simple and cost effective way to get in the forefront of patients minds and make yourself a valuable resource. Whether you are promoting your medical practice or attempting...

Most companies have a Facebook or twitter page; medical practices should also communicate with their patients using social media. The medical field has been less proactive when it comes to maintaining a social media presence. It’s an effective way to make sure your practice is branded in your specific field of expertise. Don’t overlook social media as a great way to communicate with your patients. People are looking for doctors who care and...

The medical care industry is wrapped in privacy laws and restrictions, for good reason. On one hand, patient privacy makes social media marketing a challenge. How do you balance open communication and patient rights? On the other hand, research shows most people get their information from online sources, even recommendations about medical care. How important is social media marketing for doctors’ offices and how can it be successfully...